/ / / I’m sitting in a bus on my way to home to the countryside. It looks like early spring outside, grey ground and leafless trees. Just a little bit snow here and there. Temperature is only couple of degrees on the plus side. I could say that it’s one kind of a culture shock haha! I haven’t opened my laptop for days and the photos from Hong Kong I only just uploaded on my laptop. I haven’t been able to put my thoughts and feelings in words, and if I would write them all down here, this would text would be way too long for anyone to read. How does it feel to return back home to Finland? I have very mixed feelings. I’m thrilled to see all my friends and family. But to be honest, Finland doesn’t feel like my home right now.

Quite exactly two and half a years ago I left all the familiar behind and was heading towards the great unknown. I had my fresh passport and tickets to Australia. My backpack was way too heavy and full of stuff I wouldn’t even need. Easy to say it afterwards now. I had pretty clear vision of what I wanted from these travels. I was also sure of who I am and what I want from life in general. Or so I thought.

/ / / My travels ended up being something completely different to what I had planned. In a good way. In the very beginning, I had huge crisis with myself and was really homesick. I was fighting against the change, not letting go of the old. I was being stubborn, trying to force my plans to go as I wanted. After a while I got tired and decided to take it as it comes. I started really listening my heart and letting go of my plans. After that moment, everything unexpected started coming to my way. Things that I didn’t know I wanted or I things that I thought I can’t get.

On summer 2015, a huge personal loss happened in my life. A massive, unexpected shock, that knocked me off my feet. Made me question everything I knew about life. I travelled to Finland for couple of weeks. Those weeks are bit foggy, but after I returned to Australia, something had changed forever. I realized more than ever, how short and fragile this life is. We only get one change and it could end tomorrow. I was taking even more passionate and positive attitude towards life, I wanted to live it to the max. You only live once, but if you do it well, once is enough.

/ / / Two years in Australia, Byron Bay, Sydney and Sunshine Coast were my homes. I lost my heart to surfing and acroyoga, these two will stay in my life with a way or another. I overcame my fear of heights and learned to rock-climb. I fell in love with camping. I did all kind of different jobs from blueberry picking to bartending. I spend a month in New Zealand exploring the beautiful nature and spending my first Christmas away from home. I surfed a month in Indonesia, travelled solo and met a lot of new people. I lived four months in Thailand and worked at diving school. I literally spend my days in the water with turtles and sharks. I travelled to Singapore and again to Indonesia. I spend some time in Philippines without phone connection, hanging out with locals and surfing as much as I could. I did a quick stop to Hong Kong. I owned two cars and three surf boards. I lived in numerous different kind of accommodations from hostels to couchsurfing.

My identity changed more the more I travelled. Feels like I’ve never been more myself that I’m now. I found myself even thought I never looked for it. After this two and half years, I’m remembering everything I saw, everything I experienced and especially everyone I met with warmth in my heart. All the people who affected my life more or less. Inspired me. All those moments I overcame my fears and doubts. All the perfectly happy moments and all the worst setbacks. All those shaped me and made me to what I’m today. I’m grateful. These travels were big turning point in my life, and it’s not the end. It’s beginning.